New contract gives Edmundson a major confidence boost

With a new two-year contract safely tucked under his arm, Athletic’s talented young defender George Edmundson has repaid the faith shown in him by turning in some terrific performances in League Two so far this season.

Edmundson, aged 21, has featured in every game this term as Frankie Bunn’s team currently sit comfortably in seventh place in the table.

Athletic’s traumatic relegation in May must have left Edmundson wondering whether his future at Boundary Park would be in doubt – despite the fact he still had a year left on his contract – but far from exiting the club, chiefs were obviously keen to secure the future of one of their prized assets.

“We had a few meetings after we were relegated,” said Edmundson.

“But despite that the chairman was pleased with how I’d been playing towards the end of last season.

“He said he wanted to reward me for my efforts, and though I still had a year left on my previous contract, he just wanted to make sure I’d stay and I was happy here.

“I signed the new deal straight away, and that feels good because it shows the club trust me, and have faith in me.

“That’s a big thing for a player at this stage of my career – now I just want to repay the club with consistent good performances.

“Maybe in past seasons it was on my mind that I was only signed on a one-year contract, but now I’ve got two years I can really settle down, enjoy my football, and play well.

“It’s definitely given me a confidence boost, and since the season started the manager has shown faith in me by playing me.

“I can’t ask for more than that really.”

Just one defeat in their last eight fourth tier matches means Athletic are looking in decent fettle during these early stages of the campaign, but what does Edmundson think of the standard at League Two level this time around?

Asked which game has been the toughest so far, Edmundson replied: “They’ve all been different in their own way.

“Probably Derby was the toughest of course.

“That was much more of a tactical game and not so much of a dogfight like most of the League Two games have been.

“The Crawley game was hard, then the Macclesfield was just a case of ‘get it and kick it’ in the last 10 minutes.

“It’s all been a good test, though.

“There are bigger teams in League One, and each team does seem to have a couple of stand-out players in that league as opposed to League Two.

“In League One they might have a striker, defender and a midfielder who are all a big threat.

“I feel like in League Two it’s more physical and teams don’t necessarily have those individuals. It’s more a collective thing, where maybe every player is allright in each position.

“Everyone is allright is League One, but then you’ve got people like Maddison at Peterborough who are real standouts. Bradford had Charlie Wyke.

“I’m not saying League Two doesn’t have quality players, there’s just more in League One.

“Obviously it gets more tactical and technical as you get higher up the pyramid, but League Two is more of a case of ‘defenders defend and attackers just try and score goals’.”

Athletic are currently gearing up for back-to-back away fixtures, at Swindon on Saturday, and then at Mansfield Town on Tuesday night, October 2.

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